Origin (Scales 'N' Spells Book 1)

by AJ Sherwood

  Cameron regarded him with a quizzical air. “The dragons are very real to you, huh.”

  That wasn’t at all the reaction Alric was going for. He faced Cameron squarely, trying to read the man past his pleasant expression. “Do you not think of them as real?”

  “I suppose they were. But I think of them in the same sense as dinosaurs, or Atlantis, or anything else that existed more than two hundred years ago. It was something of the past, not something to be considered in the future. But when I listen to you, I think of them as if they were here yesterday. It’s strange, but kinda nice. Makes me wish they were still around.”

  Alric bit back a groan and his knees went a little weak as the enormity of the situation slammed down on him. Any mage worth his salt would know he was speaking with a dragon. If he didn’t know Alric was a dragon, didn’t know that dragons still existed, then there was an equally good chance he had no idea he was a mage.

  Or perhaps he didn’t know the name of the fire dragons? Perhaps the name Burkhard meant nothing to him? Alric wasn’t sure what the situation was here. But if Cameron knew so little of his magical heritage, it did pose an issue. It left him with the very interesting question of how to convince someone of their own magic.

  He’d love for someone to supply him the answer. Alric hadn’t a clue. “To me, they are very real. Perhaps as we tour the area, I can convince you of it.”

  Cameron’s face lit up, a half-laugh in his mouth. “I’m ready to be convinced!”

  “Well, I say that, but I’m not sure where to start with you. If you’re interested enough to climb up to the castle and see it, the trail isn’t that steep.”

  “I take it that there’s no cars or trains going up that direction?”

  “I’m afraid not. Just a hiking trail.”

  “Maybe on a day when I haven’t had three beers.” Cameron patted his flat stomach. “I feel like I’m already making sloshing noises.”

  “Shall we drink some water? We can discuss what might be the best move. There’s several interesting landmarks in the area.”

  “Sure. Water’s a good idea at this point for me. And maybe some cheese. I’m told this area is famous for its cheese, but I haven’t tried it yet. I haven’t eaten much, just snacked.”

  “In that case, let’s find lunch. Food and water would be wise, and it will get us away from the crowd for a while.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  Alric looked about, getting both his bearings and seeing the options. “Are you interested in German food?”

  “It’s been really good so far. Why, do you know a hole-in-the wall?”

  Alric turned a mild frown at him, confused. “I’m sorry, a what?”

  “Small restaurant that looks iffy on the outside but has all the yumminess on the inside,” Cameron clarified.

  “Oh. Yes, I know a few. The Holzar-Schlemmer-Alm is nearby, and it’s quite good.”

  Cameron gave him a wave. “Lead on, fearless leader! And don’t lose me in the crowd; I seriously doubt I can find you again.”

  Alric might have been a touch too serious as he replied, “I won’t lose you.”

  If Alric Burkhard was fate’s way of giving him a hell of a send-off before entering a lifetime of boredom and monotony, Cameron would take it.

  The man was simply stunning. While not tall, he had lovely broad shoulders and what looked to be a very fit body under all those expertly tailored clothes. He had the classic hard jaw, strong nose, and chiseled features of a European fairy tale prince. His thick hair had a perfect wave, and the dark locks were lightly sprinkled with grey. Cameron had to fist his hands at his sides to keep his fingers from running through it. That hair demanded to be touched.

  But really it all came down to his eyes. Deep, piercing blue. The kind of blue he could just fall into and never find his way out of again. His eyes even had this strange gold ring around the iris that seemed to shimmer, but that had to be a trick of the light. The summer sun was beating down on them and even Cameron felt warm at last.

  Yes, Alric was the whole delectable package, and Cameron’s libido wanted to unwrap him.

  Not that he would.

  Cameron didn’t jump into bed with random hot, older German strangers.

  Even though it would be so wonderful if he did.

  Clenching his teeth, he barely held back a growl at his own circling thoughts. Cameron was backpacking his way across Europe as a way to expand his horizons, lock down some good memories, and explore the world. This was not a sleep-his-way-across-Europe vacation.

  Although, for Alric he might make an exception. He just had one burning question he needed an answer to.

  Why was the sexy German hunk paying even the slightest bit of attention to him?

  That’s what didn’t make any sense. Alric was charming, obviously, as Cameron kept getting sucked into the man’s pace. He found himself following without really questioning why. But what about Cameron had cemented Alric’s attention? He was just another American backpacker, hoping to find something of himself in all the ancient beauty. Maybe have a small adventure or two. Meet some interesting people.

  And he’d definitely accomplished two of the three. That Ravi guy was certainly interesting, if a little crazy. He’d caught only a fraction of what the man was saying, but it was something about dragons and magic. Or something. Possibly not too surprising considering he was weaving through the first day of the Dragon Festival in Sonthofen.

  His sister had tried to convince him to linger in Munich for another few days to enjoy the festival in the much larger city, but Cameron was done with oppressively large crowds and cities. He was anxious to get up into the nearby mountain ranges, renowned for their hiking trails.

  The Allgäuer Hochalpen were rumored to be one of the last places on Earth the dragons had been spotted. Not that he was expecting to see a dragon soaring over his head when he reached one of the peaks. The last of the dragons had supposedly died out at the end of the war, but it would be interesting to soak in what they’d seen as they’d flown over the mountains and valleys.

  And listening to Alric had made it all seem so much more real than it had ever been to him before. His family was full of old stories about mages and dragons. But then, his halmeoni—his grandmother—was most definitely off her rocker. Naturally, his twin sister Cassie believed every word of it, but not Cameron. There were no dragons or mages left in the world. Magic had died with the war.

  If not, then it lived on only in the sound of Alric’s voice. It was the only way Cameron could explain losing hours of the day with this man. The Holzar-Schlemmer-Alm was the perfect hole-in-the-wall pub that wasn’t too crowded with people seeking a break from the throng and noise. They’d shared platters of food Cameron couldn’t even repeat the name of, but it didn’t matter. The spices and flavors dancing across his tongue were astounding.

  Refueled, they headed back into the festival, wandering among the stalls and stopping to see performances here and there. Alric was his own personal tour guide, translator, and historian. He murmured endless secrets and little-known facts in his ear.

  Shouting and laughter broke above the general noise of the festival. Cameron looked up in time to see a large, blond man jogging directly toward him while he was talking to someone over his shoulder. There wasn’t enough time to react or even move. Cameron just tensed, waiting for all three-hundred-plus pounds to plow right into him.

  But instead of a crushing weight, a strong arm snaked around his waist and spun him out of the way. He blinked and found himself cuddled against Alric’s chest while the older man placed his body between Cameron and the would-be linebacker. Alric absorbed most of the hit, and Cameron hated to admit that he sighed like a Disney princess. It wasn’t just that Alric was sexy as hell, but he was also protective and smelled amazing. Cuddled against Alric for that brief moment, Cameron inhaled deeply, images of wonderfully warm, sunbaked stones and bread fresh out of the oven dancing through his head.

  Alric glared
over his shoulder at their near assailant before barking something at the man in angry German. Cameron’s grasp of the language didn’t extend much beyond asking directions, asking for the bathroom, and ordering food, but he didn’t need to be fluent to guess at what Alric was saying. The man paled and uttered a quick apology before hurrying away.

  Those blue eyes turned their laser-like focus entirely on him. His face was a mask of intense concern that caused Cameron’s heart to stutter in his chest. “Are you alright?”

  Cameron hummed softly, still enjoying the feel of Alric holding him close. “You smell like bread,” he murmured before his brain finally caught up with his tongue. Cameron blinked, replaying the moment in his head. Yep, he sounded like a freaking idiot, but he wasn’t going to complain because it brought the most wonderful surprised smile to Alric’s lips.

  “I think you may be hungry again,” Alric teased.

  To Cameron’s disappointment, Alric straightened, releasing him so that Cameron could step free of him. The moment Cameron was away from the strength and power of Alric’s frame, he felt decidedly cooler. Granted, summer weather in the Alps wasn’t exactly warm to begin with. Cameron had felt barely warm most of the day. It wasn’t that which made him feel bereft. It was something else. Alric’s release of him left a sort of echo…a disconnect. Certainly not as safe. Something in his animal brain demanded he move back into Alric’s arms.

  But that was just silly. Alric was a stranger. A handsome, protective stranger, but still a stranger. Maybe he did need to eat.

  “Would you have dinner with me? I know a place the locals enjoy. Another hole-in-the-wall that would get us away from most of these crowds,” Alric offered.

  “Are you sure? I feel like I’ve monopolized your entire day.” Cameron wavered. He was torn over the words even as they left his mouth. He’d been enjoying his day with Alric and didn’t want to see him go just yet, but maybe it was for the best. He wasn’t thinking clearly at all where the man was concerned. Some distance would help him remember why he’d come to Europe in the first place.

  “I’ve enjoyed showing you my home. It’s reminded me why I love it and have lived here so long. Please, a quiet dinner will help to refresh us both.”

  Okay, so maybe somewhere a little quiet away from the noises and crowds did sound like a slice of heaven. He didn’t mind people, but a day spent in the middle of many thousands of them was starting to wear on him.

  “That’d be great.”

  Alric reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He hit a number and lifted it to his ear. The conversation was quick but sounded polite in comparison to telling the other man off. Cameron just wanted to watch him, admiring his confidence and the sense of authority rolling off him. It was nice. He was tired of people his own age who came off with a smug, know-it-all attitude. Alric’s quiet confidence was from years of experience. Was he older than Cameron had first thought? He’d thought maybe mid-thirties, but was he older, like in his forties?

  Maybe it was the dark suit and tie that still appeared perfect despite the day of being jostled by the crowd. He couldn’t picture Alric in jeans and a T-shirt. Though, he wished he could picture the man naked.

  Not that Cameron was looking for a Daddy. He was quite capable of managing his life on his own. He didn’t need anyone doing anything for him.

  But there was no denying that it was nice to just relax and let someone else handle things for a little while.

  The conversation was over in a few seconds, and Alric was returning his phone to his pocket. He looked at Cameron with a small smile and warmth in his dark eyes. “Shall we?”

  “Who was that?”

  “A friend. I asked him to go ahead of us and make sure a quiet table is reserved.”

  “The owner won’t mind?”

  Alric shook his head, a smile playing faintly on his lips. He deftly positioned Cameron on his left side while directing him away from the crowd and onto a quieter street, moving away from the heart of the festival. This wasn’t the first time Alric had done that. It was clear something was wrong with his left arm. He rarely used it and actually kept it tucked away behind his back, even when he gestured. Cameron wanted to ask, but he was sure anything out of his mouth would sound rude or make Alric uncomfortable.

  But how he positioned Cameron was incredibly sweet and protective. He was keeping his stronger arm free to hold off the crowds and defend Cameron as needed.

  They walked four blocks away from the main thoroughfare of the festival, the sounds of music and people growing fainter with each step. Streetlamps were starting to pop on to hold back the growing darkness. Cameron knew he should feel nervous about being in a city he didn’t know after dark, but he couldn’t summon up the logical fear. Not with Alric.

  In the middle of a block, Alric started down what looked to be a dark alley, and Cameron’s self-preservations finally kicked in. Thank God.

  “The restaurant is down this alley?” Cameron asked, hesitating on the sidewalk.

  Alric flashed him a reassuring smile and motioned toward a set of stairs leading down into what looked like a basement for the building. “This place is a little more true to your description of hole-in-the-wall.”

  “You do know that most horror movies include a part where the hero idiotically goes down into a basement,” Cameron muttered, still warring with himself over whether to continue or turn back. He refused to be too stupid to live.

  “True. But most basements don’t lead to an ancient cave system that includes one of the best wine lists in the city.”

  Fuck it. Call him stupid.

  “The restaurant is in a cave?” Cameron asked, taking a small step forward.

  “Yes. I think you’ll like it.” Alric extended his left hand to Cameron, beckoning him forward. Cameron couldn’t stop from locking his eyes on it, taking in the hint of old scars along the side of his hand. As if realizing what he’d done too late, Alric balled his hand into a fist and dropped it back to his side. A scowl marred his handsome face as he looked down at the ground. “But if you’d rather not…I can take you—”

  “No, I want to see it,” Cameron said, quickly cutting him off. Alric had made himself vulnerable for Cameron. He’d done nothing all day to make Cameron question whether he was trustworthy. He’d protected him from the crowds, filled him with interesting information, and made him laugh. He gently placed his hand on Alric’s left shoulder and lightly squeezed. “I’ve never had dinner in a cave.”

  The light returned to Alric’s eyes and he smiled. Cameron’s heart stupidly flipped over in his chest and he ignored it. He was not going to think about why he enjoyed making Alric smile.

  “You will love this. I know it.”

  Cameron followed him through and almost instantly felt better. The alley was narrow, certainly, but there was beautiful, rich murals painted on the walls. Some of it was breathtakingly stunning dragons in flight. Narrow alley, yes. Dark, crime-ridden alley? Obviously not. Maybe it was just his American instincts at play, here. Germany was, after all, one of the secure countries in the world.

  Alric led the way down the stairs and into the building. There were more winding stairs and some enormous oak barrels that looked as if they stored wine or beer or maybe even whiskey. At the end were a few more stairs and then an arched entrance that led into what was clearly a cave, its rough-hewn stone walls alight with dancing candlelight. The air was several degrees cooler, chilling the sweat still coating his skin.

  Cameron was in awe of the place. The ceiling was higher than he’d expected, disappearing into darkness, while the floor plan was largely open with a scattering of tables covered in pristine white cloths. More candles in hurricane glasses glowed on the tables. In the center of the room was a large bar made of hefty rough timbers and a sparkling rainbow of hundreds of bottles of alcohol.

  But the true color came from the banners—dozens of colorful old banners emblazoned with images of dragons. There were more with strange symbols and imag
es he felt sure were linked to mages, but he didn’t know what any of them meant. Just things he remembered from his childhood thanks to his grandmother’s crazy stories.

  “What do you think?” Alric asked in a low voice.

  “I’m expecting to see a dragon wander through blowing fire because these people are too close to his hoard,” Cameron said with a grin. The entire cave had a feeling of stepping back in time.

  Alric snorted softly. “No self-respecting dragon would keep his hoard where humans could stumble across it.”

  Cameron laughed and started to ask how Alric could be so confident when a short man in a smart suit hurried over to them, sidestepping a couple servers and a woman who looked to be the hostess. He immediately fell on Alric, fawning over him in a flurry of German like he was a prince visiting from his royal castle. Alric greeted him with his usual easy charm, his expression stoic but mildly friendly. Not quite the same smile he’d been flashing Cameron all day.

  Not that Cameron cared.

  Not really.

  Cameron shivered, and Alric stopped the man mid-sentence, turning his full attention to Cameron. “Are you alright? Is it too cold in here?”

  “Oh no! This is fine,” he quickly countered. He did not want to miss out on eating in a cave.

  Alric nodded once. “I’ll have a Kuscheldecke brought for you.”

  Before Cameron could even ask what that was, Alric was turning back and issuing quick orders to the man watching them. The man waved them on, snatching up two menus before leading them on a weaving path through the tables to a secluded booth near the back of the restaurant. The table afforded them a view of the entire place while partially shielding them from the view of the other diners.

  This was starting to feel like a date.

  But it wasn’t a date.

  Couldn’t be a date.

  Alric was just showing him around the city.

  Cameron was leaving Sonthofen in a couple days. He’d never see Alric again.